Past and Present of the Avers – As Told by Contemporary Witnesses

The Avers is one of around 150 valleys in Graubünden. Like each of the canton’s valleys, it has its own distinctive character. The village of Juf, for instance—located at 2,126 meters above sea level—is the highest year-round settlement in Switzerland, and among the highest in all of Europe.

But what was life in the valley region like in the past—and what is it like today? Robert Heinz, a leading expert on the valley and former Avers representative in the cantonal parliament, set out to find answers. Armed with a video camera, he documented the life stories of people from the Avers, creating a series of vignettes that are both personal and informative.

Max Kohler, for example, born on 12 October 1939, shares childhood memories of playing pranks and catching snakes in his video portrait. Meanwhile, Ida Bleuer-Klucker (1923–2018) reads from an essay about the former shepherds’ huts in the neighbouring Val Madris. The videos can be viewed at the Kantonsbibliothek Graubünden; excerpts are also available on Porta Cultura.